Danny's Return
by autumnrose2010
Summary: Danny Greer is the grandson of Susan Pevensie. He enters Narnia at a tender age but returns to earth a few years later because he knows that someone misses him and needs him.
1. Danny

One day Aslan was strolling around Narnia when he came upon a young man sitting beside the river staring pensively into the water.

"What's wrong, Danny?" he asked him. "Aren't you happy up here anymore?"

"Oh, it's great!" Danny replied. "I have everything I could possibly want...well, _almost _everything, anyway."

Aslan sat beside him. "There's something you miss about life on earth, isn't there?" he asked him.

"Yeah," Danny agreed. "More specifically, some _one. _She was just a young girl when I arrived here, but she's five years older now. I've been watching her for awhile, and she needs me right now. I know this is an unusual request, but would it be possible for me to return to earth so that I could be with her?"

"You're right," said Aslan. "That _is _a most unusual request, but I'll see what I can do."

* * *

He was the last person in the world Robin had ever expected to see again.

She was more despondent than she'd ever been before in her life. Her boyfriend, Tyler, had just said good-bye to her. He was leaving to go to college in Hawaii. She wondered what on earth she'd do without him as she stumbled back to the battered old shack she shared with her widowed mother. Now that her older sister Wren had run off to California with Gabriel DeMarnes to join some whacky new age group, it was just Robin and her mother.

"Don't slam the door," Robin's mother yelled at her as she entered the house, but she barely heard her as she made her way to her room to throw herself across the bed and cry her eyes out. She ended up crying herself to sleep and didn't awaken again until she heard her mother calling her for dinner. As she was leaving the room, her eye fell on a crumpled piece of paper lying on the floor underneath her desk. She picked it up to see that it was a drawing that a boy had made for her when she'd been only thirteen. A lump came to her throat and tears filled her eyes as she stared at it, remembering.

* * *

The following Saturday, Robin was walking past the park when she heard him call to her.

"Robin!" he called. "Do you remember me?"

She couldn't believe her eyes! "Danny!" she gasped. "Is it really you?"

"Of course it's me!" he laughed.

"You're back!" she exclaimed happily, visions of his tall, lanky form bent over a drawing pad patiently sketching figures for her filling her head.

"I came back for you," he told her. "I waited until I knew you needed me, and that's when I returned."

"Tyler just broke up with me," she told him.

"I know," he replied. "You really cared for him, didn't you? Just like I really cared for Wren."

"She's with Gabriel now," Robin said.

"Yes." His face went dark for just a minute, then brightened. "But no matter. You're here now, and I'm here now. That's all that matters."

He held his hand out to her, and she took it.


	2. Mrs Greer

"You've really grown up since the last time I saw you," Danny remarked as they walked along. It was true. In the past five years, the awkward, shy thirteen-year-old he'd known had blossomed into a very attractive young woman.

"I know." She giggled shyly. "You haven't changed at all."

"I know." He grinned.

"So tell me," she said. "What's Narnia like?"

"It's more wonderful than you could ever imagine!" he exclaimed. It's summer all year long, and there are all kinds of magical creatures and anything you could ever want is yours for the asking. The best part of all is Aslan. He's the greatest!"

"I've always believed in him," Robin replied. "A lot of the kids at school made fun of me and said I was a baby for believing in fairy tales, but I just ignored them."

"You're smarter than any of them," said Danny.

"So why did you give all that up?" Robin wanted to know.

"Well," Danny said thoughtfully as he kicked a pebble along the road. "I really regretted that I never got to finish growing up. I made it almost to my last year of high school, but not quite. I always just assumed that I would someday have a job, get married and have kids. You know, all the things normal people do."

"Your funeral was the saddest day in the world for me." Tears came to her eyes at the memory.

"I know." He had to swallow a lump in his throat. "I saw how you cried."

"You were kind of my hero," she continued. "I always saw you as the big brother I never had."

By now they'd reached Deelite, the frozen yogurt store that was where the coffee shop Bliss had formerly been. Having just arrived from Narnia, Danny didn't have any money on him, and Robin had only enough for one small serving of frozen yogurt, so she suggested they share it.

"That's OK," said Danny. "You go ahead and eat the whole thing."

"But can't you still eat normally?" asked Robin.

"Of course I can!" Danny replied. "But I'd feel terrible sitting here eating in front of you, especially considering that you bought it."

Robin took a few bites from the frozen yogurt and then, claiming that she was stuffed and couldn't eat another bite, handed the rest to Danny. "So tell me more about Narnia," she said. "Did you meet anyone you knew here?"

"I met my grandmother," Danny told her. "I was only a little boy when she went to Narnia, but I remembered her. She used to babysit me sometimes, and I even spent the night at her house occasionally. She'd bake cookies and tell me stories. When she went to Narnia, I was sad but I didn't really understand. My parents told me I'd see her again someday, but as I grew up I kind of forgot about it. She was the first person to greet me when I first arrived in Narnia. I was confused and disoriented at first, but she was so happy to see me that I soon felt right at home."

"She also introduced me to her brothers Peter and Edmund and her sister Lucy. They'd all entered Narnia together in a train crash that happened when they were very young, so I'd never met them before. It was great to get to know them." He'd finished his yogurt and they were ready to leave the store.

"I can't wait to see Dad and Mom and Adam and Molly again," he continued as they walked along.

"They really missed you, just like we all did," said Robin.

Arriving at the Greer home at last, Danny rang the doorbell. Mrs. Greer opened the door and fainted dead away at the sight of her younger son. Danny caught her and held her until she started to come back around.

"Mom? Are you all right?"

"Danny!" she exclaimed, then began to cry. "Oh, Danny..."

"What's wrong, Mom? Aren't you glad to see me?"

Mrs. Greer clung to him tightly. "I thought I'd never see you again...no one ever returns from Narnia..."

"But I did, Mom."

She stepped back from him. 'Let me take a good look at you." She did, from head to toe. "Why, you haven't changed a bit!"

"Of course I haven't."

"Mom? What's going on?" Molly came running, her mouth dropping open in disbelief at the sight of her older brother. "Danny! I don't believe it!"

"Hi, Molly," said Danny.

"But how did you get here? I thought you were gone forever!"

"Of course not. I was only in Narnia. Aslan let me come back. He's the greatest guy, Molly. You're gonna love him when you meet him."

Molly looked at Robin. "Robin? What are you doing here?"

"I met Danny in the park," Robin told her. "We went for frozen yogurt and then we came here."

"Well, come on in!" said Mrs. Greer, who by now had recovered from her shock. "Your room's just like you left it, except that I donated all your clothes, but I'll buy you some new ones. Oh, Danny, I'm so glad you came back!"

Robin suddenly felt uncomfortable. "I'll just go on back home now," she said.

"Stay, Robin! Please!" begged Danny.

"Please stay and have dinner with us, Robin," Mrs. Greer urged.

"Well, if you're sure I won't be in the way," said Robin.

"Of course you won't be!" said Mrs. Greer.

Just then, they heard the sound of a car pulling up in the driveway and knew that Mr. Greer was home.


	3. Becker

Eagerly, Mrs. Greer went to the door to let her husband in. "What's everyone standing around in the kitchen for?" he asked. "Oh, hi Robin," he continued when he saw her. Then he saw Danny, and his eyes nearly popped out of his head. "Danny!"

"Hi, Dad," said Danny.

Mr. Greer burst into a surprised laugh as he embraced his son. "But how did you do it? How did you come back?"

"Aslan let me," Danny replied. "I told him that I had unfinished business here."

"I certainly never knew that was possible," said Mr. Greer. "So what has the past five years been like for you?"

"I had a really wonderful time," Danny told him. "I spent a lot of time with Grandma, and I met her sister and brothers."

"How's Mom?" asked Mr. Greer.

"She's fine! She's young again, Dad. She looks like she's only a few years older than me now. They all do."

"I always wondered what it would have been like if my aunt and uncles had lived. Perhaps I would have had cousins," Mr. Greer said thoughtfully.

"It was really great to meet them and to hear about all the stuff that happened to them in Narnia when they were little kids."

"It must have been fascinating." Mrs. Greer was setting the hot, steaming food on the table. Danny sat between Robin and Molly while the family ate. Robin didn't really want to leave after the meal was over, but she knew that her mother would be worried about her. Danny walked her to the door.

"I'll see you again real soon," he told her as he squeezed her hand.

* * *

"I already miss him," Susan said to her siblings.

"He's only been gone a couple of days," said Lucy.

"I certainly never expected one of my grandchildren to arrive here before any of my children," Susan replied. She had three sons, Arthur, Edward, and William. Danny's father was her middle son, Edward, known as Ned.

"I've always wondered what it would have been like to have married and had children." Lucy sounded just a little bit wistful.

"You could probably make the same kind of arrangement with Aslan that Danny did, if you wanted," Susan replied.

"A thousand times no! Here in Narnia with Aslan and you all is where I belong. Where I've always belonged," Lucy said adamantly.

"I sure hope he'll be all right." Susan looked worried about her grandson.

"I'm sure he'll be fine," said Peter.

* * *

Robin arrived home to find her mother, Helen, watching television and mending clothes. She looked up as her younger daughter entered the house. "Where you been all day?"

"You'll never in a million years guess who I met in the park today!" Robin exclaimed. "Remember Danny Greer?"

Helen gasped. "But that's not possible! He's been gone for five years!"

"He came back, Mom. That's where I've been all day, with him and his family."

"But nobody ever returns from Narnia..."

_"He _did, Mom. He told us all about it. It's a wonderful place, and he got to see his grandmother again. He hadn't seen her since he was little. He got to meet his aunt and uncles whom he'd never seen before, too."

"So why didn't he stay?"

"He said he wanted to finish growing up and find out what it's like to be an adult."

Helen frowned. "That _is _unusual."

"He worked it out with Aslan where he could come back. I'm glad he's back, Mom. I really missed him. I can't wait to tell Wren!"

As soon as she got to her room, she turned her computer on. Right away she went to Facebook and clicked on Wren's profile. "Danny's back!" she typed into the message box.

That night she went to bed smiling and looking forward to seeing Danny again. She was totally unprepared for the storm that was to hit her the following morning.

It happened as soon as she turned her computer on. She went to Facebook right away, where she found a friend request from Danny and happily clicked on 'accept.' Then she was hit with a barrage of messages from her sister. "When did he come back? How long has he been back? How did you find out? Have you talked to him yet? Did he say anything about me?"

"I met up with him in the park. We went to Deelite and then to his home. I stayed and had dinner with them yesterday evening," Robin wrote back to her sister.

Later that day, her best friend, Paisley, came over to visit. As badly as she wanted to tell Paisley about Danny's return, Robin hesitated to say anything about it. She'd only known Paisley for a couple of years and had never told her about Danny. She wasn't sure what her friend believed about Narnia and didn't want to risk being thought mentally unstable.

Later that night, Danny called Robin. "I went to see Ryan and Becker today," he told her. "I was really glad to see them and thought they'd be glad to see me too. Ryan was really nice, but he seemed kind of distant, and Becker couldn't even look me in the eyes. I told him over and over again that I'd already forgiven him a long time ago, but he still seems to be eaten up with guilt."

Robin had lost touch with Danny's two best friends, Ryan and Becker, over the past five years.

"Is he still crippled?" she asked.

"Unfortunately, yes. He doesn't have to use the wheelchair any more, but he still has a leg brace and crutches. He'll never be the same again, Robin." Robin heard the sadness in his voice, and it made her feel melancholy herself. She wished that she could say something to comfort him.


	4. Wren

Robin's first day at the university was Monday. The wonder of having seen Danny again was soon temporarily forgotten in the novelty of having classes in new buildings with generally older students, in some cases, quite a bit older.

In her second class of the day, which was biology, she was sitting at her desk staring at the blackboard when a brunette who looked slightly older than herself swooped into the seat beside her and smiled. "Hi, I'm Trendi."

"I'm Robin," Robin replied.

"Nice to meet you!" said Trendi. "Is this your first year?"

"Yeah. I don't really know anybody yet. You?"

"My third." She giggled. "Actually my fourth. I took some time off when I got married, so I'm a few classes behind."

Robin noticed the thin gold band on the other girl's left ring finger. "Lucky you."

"Oh, you'll meet someone soon!" Trendi smiled.

"You don't understand," Robin replied. "My boyfriend just left for college in Hawaii. He promised he'd keep in touch, and he sent me one email to let me know he'd got there OK, but I haven't heard a word from him since then."

"I'm sure he's just busy getting settled in," said Trendi. "He'll be in touch again soon."

"I'm not so sure," Robin replied. "Our last date didn't go very well. His folks were gone, so we had the house to ourselves. He begged me and begged me to...you know. But I just couldn't. I was too scared. Now I may never get the chance again, so I'll never know what it might have been like."

"Perhaps that's for the best," said Trendi. "If you'd done what he wanted, you might never have heard from him again. Some guys are like that."

_But not all guys, _thought Robin. She wondered whether or not Danny and Wren had ever been together like that and decided that she didn't really want to know. Feeling a bit overwhelmed, she was working on her algebra homework when Danny called her that evening.

"Hey! How's it going?" he asked.

"It's sure a lot different from high school!" Robin exclaimed. "How's it going for you?"

"Kind of weird. I feel like the new kid since I don't know anybody."

"Didn't they have school in Narnia?"

"Yeah, but it was all fun stuff, like the history of Narnia and the physiology of the various creatures, things like that. Nothing you'd really have to wrack your brain over like in regular school."

"I'd love to hear about it sometime."

"It's kind of a lot!"

"I met a girl named Trendi in my biology class. She's _married."_

Danny was suddenly very quiet. "What's wrong?" Robin asked after awhile.

"If I'd just stayed here and never gone to Narnia, I'd be old enough to be married now myself," Danny said softly.

"But can't people get married in Narnia?"

"Well, yes, those who enter Narnia as adults can. But time stands still there. If you enter as a teenager, you'll always be a teenager."

"It sounds kind of confusing."

"It can be at first, until you get used to it."

The following night, Robin received a surprise telephone call from Wren's boyfriend, Gabriel DeMarnes. "Have you heard anything from Wren?" he asked. "She's disappeared, and I haven't heard a word from her!"

"Neither have I," Robin replied. "I sure hope she's all right!"

On Wednesday, Danny invited Robin to go roller skating with him on Saturday. She didn't say anything to him about the fact that Wren was missing. Friday night, Wren came home as if it was the most natural thing in the world. Although shocked to see her again, Robin and her mother greeted her warmly.

"I went to see Danny, but his Mom said he was hanging out with Ryan and Becker," she announced. Robin felt cold prickles on her skin. "You came all this way just to see Danny?" she asked her sister.

"Of course!" Wren replied.

"But why?" asked Robin. "You're with Gabriel now!"

"I _was _with Gabriel," Wren corrected her. "Danny's the one I really love. I was thrilled when you told me he'd come back from Narnia. I'd never expected that to happen!"

Robin felt a funny feeling in the pit of her stomach. Never in a million years had she expected her older sister to return and attempt to claim what she'd lost. How would Danny react? Would he be as eager to be with Wren again as she evidently was to be with him?

The following day, Wren rushed to the door when Danny arrived to pick Robin up to take her to the skating rink. "Danny!" she cried, hugging and kissing him.

"Hello, Wren," he said coolly.

"Well, aren't you glad to see me?" she asked, dismayed.

"Why should I be?" asked Danny.

"Don't you still love me?" Wren wailed.

Danny shook his head. "I'm sorry, Wren. Things are different now. You should go back to Gabriel in California. That's where you belong."

Wren began to cry. Danny smiled at Robin and held his hand out to her. "Come on, Robin. Let's go."


End file.
